


Blue Waves

by uni_united



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Champions League, Character Study, FC Barcelona, Juventus Turin, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26924359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uni_united/pseuds/uni_united
Summary: "Lionel? Someone is trying to get a hold of you, would you like me to spare up your schedule", his assistant said.Leo sighed. "Is it another interview? If so I don't want it, I've had enough".His assistant laughed, "No, no, it's something else. Christiano Ronaldo would like to have dinner with you”.It took a while for Leo to fully understand what was being asked. Ronaldo? Asking for dinner? His mind goes back to two years ago, to the Ballon d’Or. To be honest, he had a hard time understanding everything, but he did remember that dinner comment. He always thought it was just a light-hearted joke.____________Following the recent news of Juventus and Barcelona's matchup for the Champions League, The two legends decide to catch up and find that they meant more to each other than they initially thought.
Relationships: Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo
Comments: 13
Kudos: 45





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh my first chapter^^ This is the first time I'm writing for these two, so apologies if it seems too OOC or if events/facts don't line up with real life. There will be multiple chapters to this, but I hope by the time the game actually happens I can add more chapters! Comments or Kudos are greatly appreciated :)

Waves crash and fall on the beaches of Genoa. Unlike most days, the beach was empty, maybe because everyone was holed up in their homes due to the pandemic. But it was probably due to the fact that it was 5 am in the morning. 

Cris didn't mind it though, these early times. He's always been a morning person, and he didn't want to waste even a single minute of the day. On some days of the week, he would escape to this beach while everyone's asleep and take a long morning run by the water. But today was different. As much as he hates to deny it, he's gotten older. 

So he sits on the white sand and peers at the waves. The whole world seemed to be quiet. Something he doesn't get used to sometimes. He's 35 now. It's funny isn't it, how he's still so young and yet in this line of work he's considered so old. People always tend to ask why football players sacrifice their whole life just for a few years at the top. 

A few years ago, Cris would say to them that winning and pushing your limits makes it all worth it. The rush of the game, the heat of the moment, it fueled him to work his hardest. But now with his career getting closer and closer to the end, he can't answer so easily anymore. 

In truth, it wasn't like he was on the beach for no reason. Last night, his manager had called him and told him about the champions league draws. Juventus and Barcelona in the same group. A "final battle" between the most fierce rivalries in football. 

He laughs to himself. It's a silly thing, their rivalry. They don't hate each other nor do they like each other, they only exist simultaneously- two legends in the game. And yet Cris couldn't help but compare himself to him. It's not like he's invincible to what the media says. Messi was, well, Messi. He was everything Cris wasn't. And yet here they were, both pushing 30-something and tied together like some unexplainable rope of fate.

He decides, right then and there, that the opportunity was more and more slipping away. The opportunity for what exactly? He wasn't so sure. But for some reason, he felt it was right. 

He pulled out his phone and dialed a few numbers.   
___

Never had a year been more stressful than 2020, Leo thought to himself. He has been hounded left and right, from the higher-ups in Barca to the criticism from his fans and even to his own teammates that were beginning to lose faith in him. 

He was out in his backyard, resting on the porch when his phone rang. He sighed, these phone calls have always spelled trouble for him. 

"Lionel? Someone is trying to get a hold of you, would you like me to spare up your schedule", his assistant said.

Leo sighed. "Is it another interview? If so I don't want it, I've had enough". 

His assistant laughed, "No, no, it's something else. Christiano Ronaldo would like to have dinner with you”.

It took a while for Leo to fully understand what was being asked. Ronaldo? Asking for dinner? His mind goes back to two years ago, to the Ballon d’Or. To be honest, he had a hard time understanding everything, but he did remember that dinner comment. He always thought it was just a light-hearted joke. 

"Lionel? I'm still waiting for an answer".

"Ah. Right. Uhm. Sure, why not. Where does he want to have it?".

"He said he's coming by to Spain during the international break".

"Oh okay"

"So everything is set then? I'll go set it up in your schedule and-"

"Ah wait", he interrupted quickly. 

"What is it?"

"Can I also ask for his number? I'd like to talk to him directly if that's okay".

The silence was the only thing that came after. In Leo's mind, he could imagine his assistant smiling a bright grin, in disbelief that he- Lionel Messi- would ever ask for Ronaldo's phone number.

"Of course!", She said cheerily, "I'll send you his contacts". 

The phone call ended and he sat there confused. Why would Ronaldo want to have dinner with him and why now? It's not like them in the same country and league anymore. And, hell, Ronaldo will still be very much so busy during the international break. 

Looking back, they were always very respectful of one another. Sure when they were younger the rivalry got to them sometimes, whether it was a nasty look or an unfriendly comment to the press. But it was all behind them now. He looked up to the blue sky and laughs. Somewhere deep in his heart, he missed him.   
___

It was Leo that decided to reach out first. He just had practice and for once it seemed like the team was motivated. Their recent wins have lifted the mood in the training pitch, and Koeman has been trying his best to keep the team happy. 

He took out his phone once he was done changing. He copied the number from his assistant and began typing.

'Hello?'. No that's too awkward. 'Are you ready to lose to us?'. Nope, too aggressive. 'So, about the dinner invitation?'. Hm… No, too out of nowhere. 

He sighed, he's always been a bad texter. From beside him, he noticed Antoine peering curiously. 

"Is everything Ok? No one’s bothering you again, right?', the french asked. Leo sighed.

"No it's just… how do I start a conversation in text? To someone who doesn't know I have their number?".

The worry on Antoine's face disappeared, and he begins to laugh. "Leo! I thought I already taught you how to be friendly in text!".

"It's not the same, I'm not going to send a bunch of emojis to him and call it a day".

"What's going on? Is Antoine annoying you again, Leo?". Leo looked up to see Gerard, looking down with his usual overprotective face. He's glad he has such good friends, but it's not like he's so fragile that he's going to break the moment something bad happens. 

"No I'm fine, Geri, it's just texting problems that's all". Gerard still doesn't budge, "Who is it?".

Leo sighs and shows them his phone. The name Christiano Ronaldo obviously written on the contact name. Both his friend's jaws drop.

"What does he want?", Geri says quickly. Leo pouts his cheeks and turns away, “He just wants some dinner… with me…”.

The two Cules stared at him blankly, then broke out in laughter. Leo rolled his eyes and typed a message anyway. 

‘Hey, It’s Messi. Can’t wait to meet you”.   
___

Cris stared at his phone for a couple of seconds. Well, maybe more than a couple of seconds. Maybe like a minute, or two. 

“And what are you smiling about?”, Paulo asks. Cris looks up, was he really smiling the whole time? He fakes a scowl. “It’s nothing!”, he says defensively.   
Paulo scoffs and grabs the phone quickly, only to look at the contact name and furiously laugh. Cris, already pushing 30, was desperately trying to grab his phone back from the Argentinian. 

“I can’t believe this”, Paulo chokes out, “God, you’re going on a little dinner with him? That’s hilarious-”. This time Cris was able to grab the phone. He scowls for real this time. “What the hell are you talking about? It's just... Just meeting an old… acquaintance”. 

Paulo raises an eyebrow, his usual expression when Cris is obviously doing something stupid. With no response, the younger man rolls his eyes, “Don’t hurt yourself, Old man”. 

Cris laughs. He never understands what that kid says sometimes. He goes and types on his phone anyway.

‘Don’t worry, I know who you are. Can’t wait to meet you too”


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He peers into the restaurant, nervous for some reason. It wasn't like a usual business dinner, nor was it some friendly dinner either. It was… well he didn't know what it was. 
> 
> To his surprise, Ronaldo was already there sitting on their table. That's weird, Leo thought to himself, isn't he supposed to be fashionably late or something?

The sun is shining in Barcelona. Leo takes a look at himself in a shop window. He had absolutely no idea what to wear, so he asked Neymar for some tips. He remembers the constant laughter from Neymar during that phone call, but in the end he did give good advice.

A dark red collared shirt tucked into some simple black pants. "It's simple and easy to look at, like you!", Was what he told him. At the time he just rolled his eyes but now he sees his point. It suited him. 

He walked over to the venue, a small upscale italian restaurant (of course) that they had rented out to avoid any press or fans. He wondered if he was a bit too early. He said 6:30pm… and it's 6:15. 

He peers into the restaurant, nervous for some reason. It wasn't like a usual business dinner, nor was it some friendly dinner either. It was… well he didn't know what it was. 

To his surprise, Ronaldo was already there sitting on their table. That's weird, Leo thought to himself, isn't he supposed to be fashionably late or something? He stands there for a bit, waiting for him to notice. Eventually, the Portugese man looks up from his phone and notices him. He smiles. 

Leo can't help but smile too.  
___

"So, how is it in Italy? Is the weather different?", Messi asks. 

Cris looks up, putting his fork down. "It's kind of the same, except sometimes there are these nasty winters… Too cold for my liking". 

Messi smiles and continues to eat. The two players had been mindlessly having small talk the whole time, not really delving into anything. Though Cris usually loved to talk his mouth off, it was hard with someone like Messi. 

"So…", he began, "I know this is touchy but, how are things in the club?".

For a second, Cris had thought he totally messed this up for sure. Messi's eyes became downcast, it was almost as if he had looked ten times more tired than usual. But to his surprise the Argentinian decided to reply.

"It's… complicated. I am very happy in this club, don't get me wrong, but it almost feels as if I'm being...used. You know?", He says awkwardly.

Cris nods his head. He knows how it feels to be mistreated by the club you've worked so hard for. "Do you still wish to leave?".

Messi pursed his lips. "I don't know. I love Barcelona… But sometimes, I just, It doesn't feel like the same club I loved back then anymore. Maybe it's because I've gotten older". 

Cris laughs. "Don't worry, you're still young, Messi". 

He laughs as well. "Leo. Call me Leo".

Cris stops laughing. He looks up, with some sort of expression that makes the other man turn his head in confusion. He feels, well, he doesn't know what he feels. But he does know he's smiling. 

"Okay, Leo, Call me Cris".

They look at each other for a long moment. It feels as if they're writing history.   
____

After dinner, Leo had asked Cris to go and take a stroll on the beach. "It's a waste for you to come all the way here just for dinner", Leo had said. Cris takes the invitation anyway, keeping it secret that he was going to ask the same thing.

"Do you remember all those El Clasicos? Or are you to caught up with Juve?", Leo had said mindlessly. 

Cris laughs. "How can I forget? It's only been a few years, you know". 

They were both walking side by side. The waves were gentle and slow by their side. The evening winds started to get colder. 

Leo found it annoying to always look up to talk to him, but what's new? But, Cris always leaned a little lower subtly. He's attentive. 

"Are you excited for our game? Everyone is talking about it", Cris starts.

"I'm not particularly excited, we still need to defeat you, you know", Leo laughs. 

"But, isn't this when we're supposed to have our final showdown? I've heard the boys in Juve talking about it- they call it the final game". 

Leo gets a bit quiet. "I hope it's not our final game", he whispers, "I wish we had played against each other more". 

Cris looks away. At that moment, he had felt a little guilty. He remembers all the people who called him a coward for leaving, for escaping to an "easier league".

Suddenly, he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He looks back to see Leo looking at him sympathetically. "It's okay, If I were you I would do the same thing", he says. 

It's so silly. He's already left for two years or so yet, it still hurts. He loved that club, even until the end. He looks away again. If he saw that expression again he might tear up. 

Cris coughs. "Did you miss me when I left?", He said jokingly. Leo stopped in his tracks. 

"I did", he says quietly, "in a way".

It was as if he had been waiting for him to say that all his life. He'd always thought that Leo didn't really care about him all that much. As if he was the one seeing their rivalry as something more important. Somewhere inside, he had hoped he'd be proven wrong. That somehow, Leo would miss him too. 

Without thinking, Cris hugged the shorter man. He hugged him tight, leaving him nowhere to run. To his surprise, Leo had hugged him back. A soft and gentle touch, patting his back. Isn't he supposed to be the older, wiser one?

It wasn't until they had separated that Cris realised there were tears on his face. What he didn't realise was the glass shine of Leo's eyes as well. 

They walked in silence after that. Somehow Leo didn't need him to say he missed him too. From Cris' constant looks to his side he already knew.  
___

A month has passed and they had been texting irregularly for a while. Usually just a "good luck" text before a hard game, or some small talk on the weekends. 

When they left they had agreed to meet again, finding each other's company comforting. They were so different yet so alike. 

"You seem happier", Geri had said one time.

Leo looked at him, confused, "Have I been looking sad?"

Geri shook his head. They were walking back from training, the pair walking together to the lockers. "No it's just, you seem to be smiling more". 

Leo shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it's cause we've been winning more". Geri laughs and pats his head, something only a few people are allowed to do. "Sure it is". 

Once in the locker rooms, he goes straight to his phone. It's stupid but he's been checking it more often recently. Just in case. Thankfully there was an actual message though.

"Leo! Why don't you come to Italy for a change?". 

Leo smiled. How could he say no?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And another chapter! I wanted to get this out asap so that no one will have to wait too long. Hope you like it :)


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo glances towards him, looking at the taller man. He wondered how he could still look… well, like that, after all these years. He thinks about himself back then, long sweaty hair and not a single trace of a beard on his face. 
> 
> He didn’t notice Cris was staring right back. “Ah”, Leo said, “I was just, distracted”. 
> 
> Cris raises an eyebrow and laughs, “Right”. Leo looks away in embarrassment, was he staring for that long?

This time, Cris had brought him to his house in San Vito. It was huge, but surprisingly, homey. 

“It’s beautiful”, Leo commented as he walked past the front door. Cris laughs and looks at him, “It is”. 

“Junior is away at school right now, and the other kids are in the daycare”, he says- walking to the kitchen, “I hope you don’t mind the mess”.

Leo looked at the kitchen, fighting back a smile when he saw the countless toys scattered around and the badly drawn artworks framed on the fridge. “How old is Junior now?”. 

“10”, Cris smiles, “He’s so talented already”. He hands Leo a cup of ice cold water. “How is, err, Thiago?”. 

Leo smiles. They lead their way to the porch, sitting on the lounge chairs by the open field. “He’s so smart, Thiago, nothing like me when I was small”, he says. 

They sit there, sipping their drinks. It was nearing the end of October, days before their match. None of them had talked much about it, instead deciding to relax together. Leo glances towards him, looking at the taller man. He wondered how he could still look… well, like that, after all these years. He thinks about himself back then, long sweaty hair and not a single trace of a beard on his face. 

He didn’t notice Cris was staring right back. “Ah”, Leo said, “I was just, distracted”. 

Cris raises an eyebrow and laughs, “Right”. Leo looks away in embarrassment, was he staring for that long? 

“Do you want to play?”, Cris says suddenly- breaking the silence, “Not seriously, but maybe we can practice”. Leo looks at him strangely, he wants to practice now? With him? But looking at Cris’ shining eyes that never quite disappeared since he was young, he couldn’t question it. “Sure”. 

Cris smiles and dribbles straight to the pitch. Since when did he already have a ball? Leo laughs and walks over as well. They passed to each other, going front and back, left and right. Everytime they changed something, the other followed. 

When Cris looks up at him, Leo smiles. “I know what you’re going to say”, he says. Cris looks confused, “Oh Yeah, what is it?”. 

“Do you want to have a competition?”, Leo says, mimicking his voice a bit. Cris laughs, “Well do you?”.   
“Of course”.

They take turns scoring goals, each one telling the other where it should go. Of course, they get a perfect record, so they decided to spice things up. “You shoot, I defend- and we take turns!”, Cris says.

“You should be careful…. My defense is rated higher than yours'', Leo jokes. The portugese pouts, “Well, my shooting is higher than yours' '. Before Leo could respond, Cris was already running towards the goal. Well, He guesses it’s his turn first. 

They end up having a tie, Leo being too tired to go on a 25th round. He took his shirt off, wiping the sweat on his brow with it. 

Cris is taken by surprise, and tries hard not to stare. But he fails. He looked at him, the shorter man had no less muscle than him. A bit of sweat shined on his abs, his shirt draped on his shoulders. 

His eyes lingered on his shoulders, for some reason. He remembers the first time he met Leo. His shoulders weren't as broad, and they had long hair touching them. He didn't even have a beard, he thinks as he looks up to his face, just a pale face that kind of looked like a strawberry when he was running. 

"What? Do I have something on my face?", Leo asks. Cris snaps back to reality, and looks up at him. Ah.

"No I was just, thinking", Cris says. Leo raises an eyebrow. "Um. You have a beard", he says. 

Leo laughs, "I would think you'd notice after all these years". 

"No it's just", Cris didn't know what to say, "You used to look like a strawberry. Back then, when your face gets pink". 

Leo gets quiet then. He stares at him, dumbfounded. Ah, did he embarrass him? 

"Wha- I", Leo tries to say. 

"Oh", Cris says teasingly, "You kinda look like one now".

Leo quickly brings his hands up to his face, unaware that Cris was lying. But now his face was really heating up. Cris smiles. He likes teasing him. 

“Lionel Fressa?”, Cris pushes it. 

Leo laughs this time, “Shut up!”. He pushes him jokingly, but Cris wasn’t paying attention to his footing, so they fell down together. 

If they were younger, maybe they could start wrestling each other on the floor. But no, their joints ache, and they don’t want to risk an actual injury. So Leo quickly pulls away, and eyes him quickly. 

“Are you okay?”, he says. 

Cris looks up. He’s 100% sure that Leo completely forgot that he’s sweaty and shirtless right now. “I’m fine”, he says, “Though my hair is totally ruined now”. 

Leo relaxes and laughs. He sits up and helps Cris up from the floor, both of them sitting on the grass. “I like your hair like this”, Leo says, “Better than that gelled-up mop you have all the time”.

“That’s rude”, Cris says playfully, “I change it up from time to time, you know? At Least I try to be fashionable”. He brushes his hair up, trying to make it stay in place. “I like your hair when it's curly”, Leo says, out of nowhere. 

Cris looks at him for a moment. “I didn’t know you liked something about me”, he says jokingly. Leo hesitates. He can say so many things, but he decides not to. “Well”, he says, “your hair is one of the best things about you”. 

He raises an eyebrow and shifts his body to be in front of him. “Really? What else are the best things about me then?”. Leo rolls his eyes. Well, the media wasn’t wrong when they said he has an ego.

“I don’t know”, Leo says, “I’m sure you can name plenty”.

“But I want to know what you think, Leo”, Cris says, a bit too earnestly. 

“Oh um”. He thinks for a moment. “You… play well”. 

Cris snorts, “Well I think I knew that”. He stands up. Oh, Leo thinks, he didn’t notice that Cris had already fixed his hair completely. 

“Do you want a spare shirt?”, Cris asks. Leo looks down at his mop of a shirt on the grass. He didn’t bring any change. “Yes. And um, a shower if possible”, he says. Cris laughs and leads him to the bathroom.  
Cris watches as he disappears into the hallways. For some reason, it felt more lonely than usual in the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a third chapter! After this, I'll be having a little hiatus so I can see how the actual game unravels and/or receive any cressi-related news. Hopefully something exciting happens! See you till then


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo stood solemnly in the Juventus stadium. Even though he's been waiting for this day it felt terribly lonely. And it wasn't only him. Everyone in that stadium knew that something, no- someone, was missing.

“Hello?”, came a groggy voice from the other side of the phone.

“Cris? I heard you’re-”

The Portuguese in question let out a loud sigh. “Yes, I have it. I can’t believe it, I’ve been following the guidelines so well!”. 

Leo laughs. Well, he doesn’t sound that bad. “Do you feel sick?”. 

“No! I don’t feel a thing… You should have seen my reaction when the doctor said I tested positive”, he says laughing. Leo smiles, he knows by now that Cris is doing all that he can to stay optimistic- it’s just the type of person he is.

“I guess I can’t see you in a while, hm?”, Leo says softly. Cris gets quiet all of a sudden. “I’m sorry”, he says. Leo shifts on his sofa, He’s never so badly wanted to meet someone like now. Deciding that Cris probably doesn’t want to be reminded about it, he tries to lighten the mood.

“Hey, mind if we video call?”, he quips, “I want to see-”

Before he could finish, Cris had already turned on his video camera. Well, he wasn’t expecting this. The older man was shirtless, lifting up medium-sized weights on one of his arms. When Leo waved awkwardly, he smiled. Then he realised it. The obvious difference in his appearance that was staring right at him. 

“Leo! So good to see your face. It’s been so boring here”, Cris says. 

“Your hair”, was all Leo could say. With Leo’s sudden silence, Cris puts his weight down and laughs. “I didn’t know you’d be this shocked”.

Christiano Ronaldo, known for his absolutely stunning hair (though Leo would never admit that to him) has completely shaved his head bald. It was surely a shocking sight to see. But damn, the man is too handsome for it to make him look bad (he would also never admit that to him).

“You look like Zidane now”, Leo says, “Not that that’s a bad thing!”. 

Cris smiles in that lopsided way of his. He stands up and puts his weights back with the rest, only to get a set of even larger weights. “Come on, don’t pretend like it’s ugly”, he says.

Leo goes quiet. Cris turns around, showing his fully muscled body in view. His brows are furrowed now. “Wait, is it really that ugly?”, he says shyly. 

“No, No! It’s, Uhm, nice on you”. Wow, Leo thought to himself, he sounds so unconvincing.

Cris raises an eyebrow but quickly forgets it. He goes back to sit on the chair and start on the same arm. “By the way, congrats on your recent win. 5-1, very impressive”, he says nonchalantly. 

“Oh, yes”, Leo says, “I didn’t score though”. 

“Does it matter?”, Cris laughs, “As long as you win, no?”.

“That’s odd coming from you. What happened to Ronaldo who hogs all the goals?”

“He became bald and became a team player”. 

They both laugh. It’s so easy to talk to him, Leo thinks. Now that Luis is gone, he’s been a bit lonely at Barca. And with Koeman, well, he expects so much from him. Do people forget that he’s not exactly 24 anymore? Or does the world expect him to be 50 and still be winning the Ballon d’Or? 

Cris, who’s now resting and drinking from a water bottle, notices the sudden silence from the Argentinian. “Leo?”, he says, “Is everything okay?”. Leo looks at him, a wary look on his face. 

“Don’t worry about me, Cariño, Focus on recovering”, he says quickly. 

“What did you say?”, Cris says in a teasing tone. 

And that was when Leo noticed his mistake. “Ah, I said...er… Don’t worry about me, Cabrón, Focus on recovering ”

Cris smiles. Leo rolls his eyes and pouts. “I need to go soon for a medical checkup”, Cris adds, “Call me tomorrow?”. 

Leo puts a thumbs up.   
…

The medical checkup never turned out well. By the time the day came, Cris hadn't recovered at all.

Leo stood solemnly in the Juventus stadium. Even though he's been waiting for this day it felt terribly lonely. And it wasn't only him. Everyone in that stadium knew that something, no- someone, was missing. 

Yet Leo still gave his all. Luckily, even with the condition their team was in, they still managed to win 2-0- thanks to a great number of offsides from Juventus. It was a great lead, but he knew- as every Juve player knew- that everything was still uncertain. Because in the second leg, the real showdown will finally begin. 

But Leo didn’t really care about that. The Argentinian wiped his brow as he went back into the locker room. The whole team was celebrating, and of course, he had to give his congratulations, but he quickly disappeared into one of the bathroom stalls. He had to call him. But to his surprise, he didn’t need to wait- his phone was already ringing.

“Leo!”, the voice boomed from the phone’s speakers. He quickly lowered the volume, “I watched the game, you played well”. He always tries to be positive, Leo thinks to himself, even when he knows that his heart is probably crushed.

“You don’t have to congratulate me”, Leo starts quietly, “You don’t even have to try and sound happy…” 

“Cris, you can tell me what you really want to say. We all missed you today. I missed you”. 

For a while Leo thought that Cris had left the phone and disappeared, silence being the only thing going through. But suddenly, he heard heavy breathing and small sniffles. Oh.

A broken voice emerged. “I… I hate it. I hate it being locked up in my room all alone… I don’t, I can’t- I’m supposed to be there! I’m supposed to… We made so many mistakes today and- I could’ ve- Or I would’ve”. 

“I know Cris, I know”.

“It’s not fair!”, Cris whines, “Out of all the games… out of all the people… It had to be me! It had to be this game!”. 

Leo couldn’t stand to listen to Cris when he was like this. He’s seen it before on the news, on television: When Cris begins to act like a child- when it’s so obvious that deep inside, He’s just a kid who loves to play football. His competitiveness, his drive, his utter selfishness sometimes… It was everything that made him who he was. 

“It isn’t fair”, Leo says plainly, “But I know you’re working hard to recover, I hope- no, I know that I can see you in the next game”. 

Cris gets quiet all of a sudden. “I promise you, I will do everything I can to meet you. For this game, for my team, and…”

The Portuguese man trails off, uncertain. Leo smiles, he doesn’t need to say it. 

“Once you recover, see me okay? You can visit my home in Barcelona. I’ll cheer you up”. 

“Really?”, Cris says, surprised. “Okay then, Make it a promise!”. Leo could still hear his quiet sniffles, but he didn’t mention it. Just hearing his voice… hearing him pick himself up in a time like this, He never knew he could smile as hard as he is doing now. “I promise”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this chapter! Sorry for the long wait, guys, a lot of stuff happened. I can't believe he got covid... I swear the whole world knew how much of a tragedy it was. But thankfully he's recently recovered! The second leg will happen in early December, so before then I might write a little filler chapter! Hope you guys like this chapter. See you in the next one!


End file.
